Electric roaster



July 17, 1928. 1,677,651

w. J. NooNAN lLETRIc RMS-TER Filed Fb. 12,1927 5 sheetssheetl 1 ATTURNEy- July 17, 192s. l1,677,651

y w. J. NooNAN anncfrnxc noAsan Filed Feb.12, 1927 5 sheets-sheet 2 l,

ATTDRNEY- July 17, 1928.

w. J. NOONAN unam-nrc. nommen File@ Feb. 12, 1927 5 sheets-sheep, s

. r INVENTI: iawj M 't1 y ATTDRNEY- w. J. NooNAN EmazcruoA RoAsTBg July 17, 1928.

Filed Feb. 12,- 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet y5 ,Aw n ME TM N NW mw @K M W. A

Patented Ju'ly 17, 1928.

` UNITED lSTATES PATENT oFF'OTCE.

nLncTmc'noasTEn Application led February 12,' 1927. Serial No. 167,719.

' The invention relates lto an improvement in electric roasters and especially roaste'rs having a. rotary drum or shell provided with electrical heating elements. It yis more pai'- ticularly intended for use in `roasting beans, such as cocoa'beans, coifee, peanuts or the like but the invention may be employed in connection with a roasting apparatus for any purpose for which it is adapted. j

One feature of the invention relates to the roasting drum. Another feature relates to the heating elements and their combination with the roasting drum. Another feature relates to devices for agitating the material within the drum. Another feature relates' to the cooling drum into which the material is discharged from the roasting drum. An-

other feature relates to means and methods.

for introducingfresh airvinto the cooling drum. Another feature relates to means and method for discharglngthe vapors and smoke from the roasting drum. 'Another feature relates to means for separating from the roasted material, foreign matter, such as 5 small stones, pieces of metal or other substances heavier than the roasted material.

Another feature relates to the means and method of conveying the roasted product t a place of discharge. Other features of the invention will be referred to hereinafter and more particularly described in the claims. f

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when takenin' connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel-features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of'this specification.

ln the drawings:

40 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of anapparatus of relatively small size embodyingY the invention, showing a discharge outlet for the roasted beans from the front end of the cooling cylinder.

Fig. 2 is. a side elevation partly broken away and partly in section of a larger size apparatus having this discharge outlet from the cooling cylinder at the rear end and equipped With suction 'means for separating 5U the beans from heavier foreign substances.

Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, -viewed from the left of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the roasting drum having thev heating elements and cla1nps assembled therewith and before the Vdrum 1 s enclosed in' the outside yasbestos coverlng.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragme'tary view 'secured to the. inner periphery of the roasting drumto agitata the material. being roasted durlng rotation of the drum.

Flg. 10 1s a view partly in section and Ibroken away at one end of one of the heat-Y ingl elementsdetached.

11 is a transverse section ofFig. 10.

F1g. 12v is a perspective view showing on an enlarged scale the clamping elements to be used to secure one of the heating elements tothe roasting drum.

Referring to the drawings:

There is shown at 20 .a rotary roasting cylinder: or shell comprising a cylindrical drum, preferably of steel, mounted faston a rotary shaft :21. One end of the cylinder has a solid head 22 making a tight closure therefor, and the other end of the cylinder has a head 23, preferably of skeleton'form or open'work, somewhat like the spokesof a wheel. The shaft 21 passes centrally through the two heads and is made fast thereto in such manner that the drum rotates withthe shaft. The shaft is journalled in the end wall-s 31, 32 of the casing 33. The

shaft may be rotated by any suitable means.

As shown, itis driven by a motor 24'through a belt 25 running over a pulley 26 on the 4 motor shaft, a pulley 27 on the stud shaft 28 and by pinion 29 on said stud shaft which meshes with gear 30on the shaft 21. Any other suitable driving means may be employed. i i For convenience the right hand end of the machine as viewed in Fig. 2 will be referred toas the front end. Mounted on the shaft 21 are a series of blades 3l'having somewhatf.,

7 is a longitudinal sectional view ofV .beans which come withi Adisposed endwise to each other in diverging relation to each other. rl`hey are secured together at their edges by a web 37 so that viewed in side elevation -as in Figs. 7 and 8, the combined pair ot' vblades forni a some.- what, V-shaped deflector. The blade 35 is preferably somewhat longer than the blade 36. The blade 35 is formed withv ears 381 secured to the inneia periphery of the cylinder 20 by solder or other suitable means.

While the drum rotates. it it is suliciently full of beans for the blades 34 on the shaft 21 to dipinto them, the blades will agitateV i the beans and tend to 'feed toward the rear end such beans as come within the sweep of the blades. The defleetor blades 35, 36 mounted on the inner periphery agitate lthe their range. The blade 35 acts on the beans nearer the periphery and the blade 36 being' otset from the blade 35, acts on the beans further away from the periphery. By setting the blades 35 and 36 at diverging angles to each other they agitate the beans more effectually than if they were parallel to each other. The offset blades 36 tend to push the beans toward `the left or rear end and the blades 35 tend to push the beans toward the front end for discharge into the cooling shell. Preferably -there are at least? two rows of the said deflectors diametrically opposite each other as shown in Fig. 2., More than two rows may be employed ifdesired. If two rows are employed those in one row should be in .staggered relation to those in the other row,

as shownin Fig. 2, for more ell'ectual agitation. On the outer periphery of the cylinder' I and `disposed longitudially thereof are the heating elements 38. The-se heating,r elements "eompriseelectric" wires' 39 enclosed in al covering 40 of materialwhich preferably is of Such a character as to insulate the wire against vleakage of the lelectric current yet is a good, conductor .of heat.

l The wire with its insulatingfcasing is en-v elosed in a metall tube 41 which is a good conductor of heat.

A plurality, of said heating elements are laid lengthwise on the outer periphery of the steel cylinder 20 parallel with each other and are heldin spaced relation to each other by holders having a semi-cylindrical intermediate portion 42 to cover the heating element and side-flanges 43, 43 which rest on the outer periphery of the cylinder 20. (See Fig'. In order to render the heating' elements acces-sible. tor repair or for replacenient, the said holders 42 are held in place by clamps instead of being permanently attached.

For this purpose cross-over bands 44 are provided which are secured to the periphery of the cylinder by rivets or screws or other suitable means, the cross-over portion having a slight clearance above the top of the semi-cylindrical portion 42 of the holder. A wedge 45 is inserted under the band 44, being' arched in cross section to fit over the seuli-cyliiulrical portion 42 of the. holder and to fit under the arched cross-over 44. The wedge will bind the holder 42 against axial displacement, and the bands 44 will prevent lateral displacement. Thenever it is desired to remove or replace one of the heating'elements, the wedges 475 can be knocked out, and the holder 42 may then be loosened sutiiciently to permit the heating element to be drawn out axially.

In order'to still further hold the heating elements in firm heatingjr contact with thecylinder 20, hoops 46 are provided at intervals which encircle the entire cylinder. These hoops are preferably madein sections whose adjacent ends :fre connected by turnbuckles 47 whereby the hooks may be loosened` or tightened up as desired'. These hoops are intended to hold the'heating eleluents in contact with the surface of the cylinder so as to heat the cylinder, butyshould not clamp them tight enough to prevent axial movement under expansion and contraction. The proper tension can be regulated` by the turnbuckles.

Itfis preterabe to have the heating elements. clamped to the cylinder only at the middle and, therefore, the cross-over memlbers 44 and wedges 45 are placed. midway of the 'length ot' the heating elements for the following reasons;

When heat is first applied to the heating. elements they will expand much more rapidly. tlian the cylinder itself andv if provision is not iliade for this rapid and unequal expansion the heating' elements will buckle. This buckling' would have a tendencyA to create orpromote a short or broken circuit.

Also it will raise the heating element out. of contact with the cylinder thereby lessenmf.:v

- the heat eonductivityfrom the heating element to the cylinder. Itis. therefore. preferable to have the heating elements held firmly at the'middle so that when heat is applied`and the heating elements' start to creep lengthwise due to expansion, they will be held fast at the middle and the creepingr movement will be from vthe, center toward both ends of the cylinder. The clamps hold' theheatingr elements quite securely to the cylinder, suiliciently so -to make a-good conroasting drum.

l means.

tact for conducting the heat and yet they will not obstruct the expansion of the heating elements as the clamps are in a position to ride back and forth with the heating elemlents as the expansion and contraction take p ace. e

The wires 39 of the'heating elements are electrically connected at their ends with terminals 101 having electrical connection by wire 104 and binding nuts 102 with bus rings 48 to take electric current from the brushes 50, 51 through the collector1 rings 52, 53. The particular method by which the heat elements are electrified is however immaterial.

The roasting cylinder or drum together with its heating elements have an outer covering 55 of yasbestos/or other non-conducting material of s uihcicnt thickness to prevent the escape of heat.

Mounted beneath the roasting drum there is a rotary cooling drum 57.A into which the hot roasted beans are' discharged from the ed fast on a rotary shaft 58 driven by shaft 21 through a belt 105 and pulleys onsaid shafts (sec Fig. 2) or by other suitable It has a skeleton head 59 at each end made :Fast to the sha-ft swo that the cooling drum will rotate with the shaft. There are stationary heads 61, 62 set close to thc opposite ends of the cooling drum, separate therefrom, but having suliicient clearance not to interfere with the rotation of the drum. I. The peripheral wall of said drum is formed with a large number of small perforations 63 for the admission ot air for cooling. The drumis enclosed in a stationary steel jacket 64. Thereis a. space 65 between the cooling drum and the jacket.

There is an opening 66 in the lower side of Asaid fixed jacket- 64 near the front stationary head 61 through which outside air maybe sucked into the space 65 and thence through the small apertures 63, and au outlet opening 67 through the opposite stationary head 62, said outlet 67 having coinmunication Aby a pipe 68 and passage 69 with 'a blower 70,' lByumeans of the blower air is sucked in through the opening 66 in the jacket 64, thence through the space 65 and the apertures 63 into the interior ot' the cooling drum and out through 67, 68 and 69 to the blower. Thus a circulation of air vis produced into and through the interior- 'and around the outside of thel cooling drum.

The shaft 58 and inner periphery of the cooling drum are respectively provided with agitator blades similar to those on the shaft 21 and periphery of the roasting drum. It is .not deemed necessary to show them specially. If the beans are to be discharged at the front end asv shown in Fig. 1. the agitatorblade 35, 36 will be arranged as The cooling drum' is mountshown in the roasting shell. If" the discharge outlet is at the rear end as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the blades will be arranged so ward the front andthe blades 35 nearer the periphery will move the outlet.

A feed hopper 71 inserted in the casing h as a hinged door 72 and affords admission of the beans tothe upper part of the roasting drum. The door 72 should bekep't closed during the roasting of the beans. A

discharge chute 7 3-tl1rough the casing communlcates wlth the roastingl drum at the lowest point of its rotatlon to .permlt d1scharge of the roasted beans into a hopper 74 communicating with the cooling Idrum. The chute 73 and ho per 74 are provided with hinged doors 7 5,76, respectively. The door 75 of the discharge chute 73 from the rotat- `ing drum should be kept clpseld during the 6 o t e hopper 74 l roasting and the door of the cooling drum should be kept closed during the cooling. e

Vhcn the beans in the roasting drum have lthat the blades 36 will move thevbeans tothe beans back toward is important that such steam be allowed to escape, otherwise it will have a 'deleterious effect onpthe beans. is provided a steam outlet 77 -through thetop of the outer casing. The steam will escape from the roasting drum throughthe open- For this purpose there ings in the right hand skeleton head 23 and passintothe space 19 between the head 23 and the wall 71 of the casing, lthence'to the` outlet 77. A pipe=78 carries the steamv to a pipe 79 which communicates with the outlet from the blower 70. The pipe 78 may, however,l discharge directly into the outer air. The pipe 78 is provided withA a damper 80 which may be closed when desired. There is also apt to be more or less smoke formed in the roasting drum from the hot beans and this should be carried away, otherwise it will injuriously affect vthe flavor of the beans.y The smoke being heavierl than the steam requires some means for drawing it out faster than it would naturally escapeV by the'steam outlet. y

There is Atherefore provided a passage 81 leading from the space 19 at the end ofi the drum to the passage 69 thence to the blower 70, and the blower will draw the smoke from the roasting drum into and through the pas# sages 81 and 69 into and through t blower 7 0, thence through the discharg pipe 79.

A damper 82 is providedA 'in the passage 81 whereby the said smoke passage may be regulated as"desired.

,For small machines, the discharge of the beans from the cooling drum is preferably at the front end as shown in Fig. 1, and may consist of a single discharge chute shown at 83, Fig. 1.

For large-machines, the discharge of the beans from the cooling drum is preferably at the rear end asA shown at 84, Figs. 2 and 3, and means are provided for separating from the beans any heavy foreign matter such as small stones, pieces of metal or other foreign matter of greater specific gravity thanthe beans. To thisend the beans are discharged through the chute 84 into a chute 85. `jThis chute has anfopening 86 at the bottom through which' the heavier substances l Vwill fall by gravity into a receptacle 87.-

The saidchute 85 hasa side outlet 88 with which is connected a tube or pipe 89 whlch `extends upward, preferably -outside of the casing, and at its upper end opens into a hopper 90 having a closed top. The hopper 90 has a discharge outlet 91 at its lower end and a damper 92 is provided for closing said outlet 91 at will.

A suction pipe 93 enters the upper part of the hopper 90 andcommunicates with the passage 81 leading tothe blower1 70. When the damper 92 is closed, the hopper 90 being always closed at the. top, 4the blower will create a suction upward through the pipe 89 intothe hopper 90. thence through the plpe 93 to the blower, thence through the outlet v:from the blower to the dischargelpipe `79.

The force of the suction should be so regulated that it will lift the beans from the hopper 85 into the hopper 90 but not suciently strong to prevent them from then falling by gravity into the bot-tom of the hopper 90. i Any dust or other light particleslwhich may be' mingled with the beans when they fall from the cooling drum into theho per will be lcarried up with the beansfqy the suction into the hopper 90.

The power ofI the suction should be such that the dust will not fall with the beans to the bottom of the hopper v9,0 but will be carried into the outlet pipe 93 anddischarged through the blower outlet. When the damper 92 is opened the beans will pass I' throughthe outlet from the. hopper into a suitable receptacle. l Theblower 70 is shown as having driving connection withthe motor 24 bymeans of a belt94 which runs over a pulley 95 on the shaft. 21 and pulley 96 on the blower shaft. See Figs. 2 and '3.

A door 103 (Fig. 1) in the upper part of the casing 33 affords access to the roasting drum so that if it is desired to repair or replace any of the heating elements, a portion of the asbestos covering of the cylinder may be cut away to expose a portion of the heating element to be treated Aand the heating element may then be removed after loosening the clamp and holder aspreviously described.

What I claim is: v A Y. 1`. A drum having a plurality of electric 'heating elements mounted 0n the periphery lA27-(drum having a plurality of electrical said heating elements, means for clamping each heating element fast to the drum at a point 1 iidway of its length, and hoops which encirc e the drum, heating elements and cov,- ering members to hold the heating elements in Contact with the drum throughout their length, said hoops having means whereby the tension of thehoops may be adjusted ,to hold the'heating elements in contact with theI drum yet permit longitudinal expansion and Acontraction undenchange in .temperature.'

3. Ainetallic drum having electric heating elements mounted'V thereon and in electrical contact therewithL and individual means for binding each of'said heating elements to the drum at a point intermediate the ends ofthe heating elements, the portions ofthe heating elements on 4opposite sidesof said binding point'being free-to move under heat expansion while said heating elements are held against creeping at the binding point.

4. A heating .drum made of heat conducting material having a plurality of electric heating elements mounted on its periphery longitudinally thereof and in electrical contact therewith, means foi-.clamping each of the said heating elements to the drum substantially midway of the length of the heating elements' to prevent longitudinal movement of the heating elements at 'the said encircle the drum and all the attached heating elements and bind' them suiiciently to hold them in contact with-the drum yet permitting longitudinal expansion and contraction on opposite sides of the midway clamp'.

5. A rotary cylindrical roasting drum of heat-conducting material having a plurality of heating elements which vlie on the outer periphery thereof and extend longitudinally .120 midway clamping point, and hoops whichl lparallel with the axis of the drum, each eating element having an individual covering strip formed with an arched portion which overlies Vthe heating element and has opposite side lianges which engage the perlphery of the drum and a .short cross-,over member Which extends transversely over each cover strip for a short portion of the length of the cover strip intermediate the ends of said cover strip and is secured to the drum.

6. A rotary cylindrical roasting drum of l heat-conducting material having a plurality of heating elements yWhich lieon the outer periphery thereof and extend longitudinall parallel With the axis of the drum, eacl heating element having an individual covering strip formed vgith an arched portion which overlies the heating element and has opposite side `flanges which engage the periphery ofthe drum and a short cross-over member which extends transversely over each cover strip for a short portion of the length of the cover strip' intermediate the ends of said cover strip and is securedto the drum, the arch of said cross-over being high enough to leave a clearance space between said cross-over and the top of the cover strip land a movable wedge inserted between the cross-over and the coverstrip.

7. A rotar cylindrical roasting drum of heat-conducting material having a plurality of heating elements which lie on the' outer periphery thereof and' extend longitudinally parallel with the axis of the drum,

each heating element having an individual covering strip formed With'an arched portion which overlies the heating element and has opposite side flanges which engage the periphery of the drum and a short crossover member which extends transversely over each cover strip for a short portion i of the length of the cover strip intermediate the ends ofsaid cover strip and is se.

' WILLIAM J. NOONAN. 

